East Peoria, Ill. - Back home again. That's the state of the schedule for ICC men's basketball (8-16, 0-6) at the moment. The Cougars are in the midst of a three-game home stand, and that continued on Wednesday night by way of the Cougars hosting the St. Louis Archers. The game wasn't ever in a wide margin. ICC stayed right there for all 40 minutes, even getting within a one-score game in the closing seconds of the second half, but free throws from the Archers with 16 seconds left would give them their eventual final lead of the night in a 68-64 win. 

The game got off to a parallel start. It wasn't until a 14-12 St. Louis lead that the Archers used the game's first timeout. In fact, down to the 12 minute mark of the first half, St. Louis never led by more than four points. It would be called a fairly clean game, as there were just eight combined fouls by the midway mark of the opening stanza. 

Coach Tony Wysinger would call time to regroup after St. Louis took the game's first 10-point lead at the 7:00 mark of the first half. Out of that timeout, the Archers hit bonus with still 4:30 left until the break. Yet the Cougars were able to work it back down and once again, keep the game within single digits. A Lavell McIntosh layup at the halftime buzzer game ICC a 30-36 deficit after 20 minutes. 

One could argue that regardless of when they happen, technicals can be momentum-changers, no less in a game that had been as hotly contested as this one. After the Archers were assessed one for flopping, LaColis Ashby Jr. made the free throws to pull within 50-44 with 12 minutes left. 

The Cougars were able to get within a possession when Kyle Belgrave II found Taylor Smith to make it a three-point game with five minutes left. 

Belgrave would hit a jumper with three minutes left to get as close as they'd been - two points.

With time not on their side, ICC was forced into the fouling game as the seconds ticked off, the Archers made the aforementioned two with 16 seconds left to go up 66-64, and that would be all they needed, coming away with the four-point road win. 

STATISTICAL LEADERS
Lavell McIntosh | 23 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Kyle Belgrave II | 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
vs. Lincoln Land Loggers (9-13, 3-3)
Saturday, February 18th - 3PM
@ Ramsey Gym - East Peoria, Ill.
WATCH LIVE (YouTube)